By: Arnetia Chin
Did you know October is Disability Employment Awareness Month? 1 in 5 working aged Canadians report having one or more disability that limits their daily activities (Stats Canada, 2018). The employment rate for individuals with disabilities is 79.6%, this is still 14.1% lower than individuals without disabilities. As an organization are you looking to build more inclusive and accessible hiring practices?
Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) was established to increase awareness of the positive outcomes of hiring persons with disabilities in Canada (you can learn more at
Government of Canada - Backgrounder: National Disability Employment Awareness Month). There are many organizations like the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN) and the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) that have focused their services and research on furthering awareness and action when it comes to disability employment. At Abilities Centre, we also dedicate research and services to supporting persons with disabilities in achieving their goal of securing meaningful employment (you can learn more at
AC Unlocked | The Blog - Innovative and Inclusive Employment Services).
Beyond external services, at Abilities Centre we like to live out what we teach, and since opening we have made strides and taken action to ensure our internal employment services (also known as Human Resources) is inclusive and accessible to both potential and current employees. Most notable are the changes that have been made to our recruitment and selection process. These changes have focused on increasing transparency in the information we provide, improving communication by implementing plain language principles, and providing variations to participation.
For example, in our job postings you will notice:
- We increased transparency by providing information about the type of position (part-time or full-time), the rate of pay we are offering, and any benefits that the position comes with right at the top/beginning to ensure candidates do not have to go searching, or waiting through multiple stages, for the answers.
- We improved communication by switching to person-first and plain language, using full sentences, and removing the codes of “an asset” or “preferred”. If we require you to have something, we will say it is required.
- We provide variations by encouraging all candidates not to let any duty or qualification discourage them from applying and ensuring they all know that we do not expect them to meet all the qualifications or feel comfortable performing all the duties, only those we mark as required.
If our job posting has done its job, you will follow through with the application, where you will notice:
- We increased transparency by ensuring all candidates know when they apply that we only contact those chosen to move forward, that we are committed to improving our process and that we invite them to share with us anything we can do to make our process more accessible.
- We improved communication by simplifying the information we ask for, and not asking for the same information multiple times. We also improved communication by asking for preferred names (if different than legal) and pronouns to ensure we are inclusive in future communications.
- We provide variations by ensuring all candidates know they can email careers for any questions or support or to apply if online is not accessible.
We have our Human Resources department and hiring managers review all applications that come in (no AI here!), and if you are invited to the interview stage, you will notice:
- We increased transparency by providing questions in advance. Whether it’s for the initial screen (previously known as the “phone screen”) or an in-person or virtual interview, all candidates receive the questions in writing beforehand to allow time to review or prepare. We also ensure that the questions are provided in writing during the interview, either in print for in-person interviews, or in the meeting chat for virtual interviews.
- We improved communication by anticipating candidate questions and answering them in advance at various stages of the process. For example:
- Interview confirmations will let you know we send questions in advance and that we provide 24-hours after the interview to send additional thoughts or questions.
- Interview holds will let you know who the panel is, how to find our building (if in-person) or how to log into the interview (if virtual), and what to expect when you arrive in person (such as where to go and who to check in with) or when you get into the virtual interview wait room (such as some technology tips, accessibility notes and keyboard shortcuts for key functions).
- All email communications will ensure you know that while we are doing our best to ensure our process is accessible and inclusive, if you need anything to make your interview more accessible and inclusive for you, please just ask!
- We provide variations by offering 5 ways to respond to our initial screen questions (you can either write them, record a voice note, record a video, schedule a phone call, or schedule a video call), and offering 3 ways to get to our in-person interview room – the ramp, elevator, or stairs. We will always ask your preference.
We have heard from many candidates since making these changes that our process made them feel comfortable from beginning to end, and that it is the most accessible and inclusive process they have ever been a part of. Some candidates have even willingly chosen to self-disclose or share with us that they would typically need to ask for accommodations, but our process was so naturally inclusive that they needed no accommodations. By focusing on increasing transparency, improving communication, and providing variations, we have created a safe space that is accessible and inclusive. Is our process perfect? No. But we choose to see every request for accommodation as a potential opportunity to improve our process for all, because inclusion is a journey.
Resources
Inclusive Hiring Archives - Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN)
Disability Confidence Toolkit - CCRW
Recruit persons with disabilities - Job Bank
Hire people with disabilities | ontario.ca
Toolkit - Inclusive hiring practices - EN - Final (ccdi.ca)
About the Author
Arnetia Chin (she/her) is the Director of Human Resources at Abilities Centre. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management, a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management, and is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) with the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA) of Ontario. She has been with the Centre for 7.5 years and has been part of the process of evolving the Centre’s Human Resources department processes to becoming more inclusive, equitable and accessible.
References
Discover Ability Network – Stats Canada, 2018